The team responds to emergency scenes to offer guidance and emotional support to people who are grieving a death or have just suffered through serious injury, violent crime or other traumatic situations. It’s responded to at least 205 emergency calls this year, including the Aug. 3 Venice boardwalk rampage in which a motorist drove into a crowd, killing one woman and injuring 16 others.

“These volunteers provide on-scene emotional support and resources to families and witnesses, freeing the LAPD or LAFD to do their work at the incident and saving the city money while comforting grieving families,” Garcetti said.

The team also is assigned to non-emergency events involving large numbers of people, such as the widely watched delivery of the space shuttle Endeavour and the Kingdom Day parade.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, in good physical shape, and be willing to take part in an intensive seven-week training session from Sept. 9 to Oct. 23, on Monday and Wednesday evenings, at the LAPD’s downtown headquarters. Applications are due Aug. 23. Email lacrt@lacity.org.